On this day 80 years ago, George VI sent out this certificate from the Bishop’s Stortford Museum archive to all school children, celebrating the end of the war. In it, he thanked them for enduring the hardships of the conflict. It noted the pride they would feel in their family members for their contribution to the Allied war victory and invited them to embody such values as they grew older to help establish peace worldwide.
On the reverse is a timeline of WW2, showing a brief overview of the major events of the conflict. This includes dates significant to the British public and the Empire as a whole, including the occupation of the Channel Isles on the 29th of June 1940, the Battle of Britain (August 8th-October 31st), the Fall of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, the awarding of the George Cross to Malta for their efforts in repelling Axis invasions (April 16th 1942), the first V1 and V2 bombs landing on Britain (June 6th and September 8th 1944 respectively) the British crossing the Rhine (March 23rd 1945) and the end of the conflict with the broadcast by Emperor Hirohito on the 14th of August 1945.
The letter itself is a reminder of the immense sacrifices and hardships endured by the British public. The need to evacuate from cities for children, despite its necessity, would have been devastating for many families.
Moreover, the losses of British soldiers in conflicts from North Africa, in the liberation of Axis occupied Europe and in Asia in places like Burma, India and Singapore cannot be underestimated. Each date on the page encapsulates thousands of lives forever scarred by conflict, and the millions that died throughout the world.
Written and researched by volunteer Thomas
